An infinite journey starting from paradise

"Ichi..." Nanase Miyuki was still a little worried.

"Sorry to bother you, Miyuki, let's go."

Kindaichi responded to Tokita Jusan with a joking smile, but he didn't let his guard down. He still stood in front of Nanase Miyuki, and while following Tokita Jusan, he also deliberately kept a certain distance from him to prevent any accidents.

"Even if he suddenly attacks, since he's my age and I'm the same age, I can at least hold him off for a while and give Miyuki time to escape," Kindaichi thought.

Although both are "Death Gods", Kindaichi still lacks a lot of martial ethics compared to Conan, the elementary school student Death God who can kick up satellites with one kick.

When they walked back to the first floor, the three people who came up from the basement happened to meet Liuxing Longyi who had just entered the Clock House and Wada Haruna who went to pick him up.

Seeing Wada Haruna and Rokuhoshi Ryuichi coming, Kindaichi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"With Wada and Liuxing teachers here, at least nothing should go wrong now..." Kinda thought, "This Rokkaku Village is really too weird."

While Kindaichi was thinking, Tokita Jusan also started chatting with the two people who had just entered the Clock House.

During this time, Kindaichi wanted to ask Tokita Jusan indirectly about the secret room in the basement, the mummies and the magic circle, but the other party was wary of the topic and refused to continue. Kindaichi had no choice but to follow him back to his guest room.

In the guest room, Kindaichi lay down on the big bed, his mind constantly recalling the strange events he encountered along the way.

"Those two middle school students I met in Beiyejian Town told me there was some kind of disaster in the town. The girl in the puppet workshop said there was something about us that was the color of death. And then here we are.

The six Western-style buildings that seemed out of place in the village. The strange behavior of Wakaba and her family. The secret room in the basement that resembled a cult sacrificial site. The six mummified body parts... and Mr. Tokita's reaction just now. The contrast was so stark that something must be amiss.

I always feel like something bad is going to happen. This time, I'm here to help Odagiri-sensei save her relationship with Wakaba. But Wakaba's attitude...if it were Grandpa, what would he do? "Chicken sauce..."

Just as Kindaichi was thinking, there was a knock on the guest room door.

The person who came was Aunt Xue, the maid who seemed a little weird.

She came to inform Kindaichi that the dinner was ready.

"Since you're here to attend the young lady's wedding, you must have brought formal attire, right? The heads of the other five families and Miss Wakaba's fiancé will also be at the Rinjō Pavilion tonight. As this is a wedding eve banquet, I hope everyone will dress formally. The banquet will officially begin at nine o'clock tonight."

"Ah...Oh, I see. Thank you for your help." Kindaichi replied.

After seeing off Aunt Xue, Kindaichi unloaded the suitcases he had prepared. They were supposedly on a wedding spree, but if Tokita Wakaba didn't plan on eloping with Odagiri Susumu, their wedding spree could seamlessly transition into a family and friends group. So, everyone had brought a formal suit.

Just as Kindaichi was changing his clothes, the sound of car engines could be heard one after another outside the window - people from the other five major families in Rokkaku Village arrived one after another.

……

The time came to nine o'clock in the evening.

Just as Lin Shangren and Wuguo were having an in-depth conversation in the bathroom, the dinner in the Clock Hall officially began.

Inside the banquet hall, a long table was laid out with a variety of exquisite kaiseki dishes. Strangely enough, the decor of the Clock Hall leaned towards Western style, and the guests attending the dinner were all dressed in suits and long dresses. Yet, the dishes on the table were authentically Japanese.

"Another incongruity."

Kindaichi pondered, observing the attendees: an elderly woman with snow-white hair, a middle-aged man with a bald head and burn scars on his cheeks, a well-dressed gentleman with silver hair, a gloomy man with sparse hair and glasses, and...

Kindaichi's gaze was captivated by the final guest. She was a brown-skinned beauty with thick eyebrows, large eyes, large breasts, and a slender waist. Her thick black curly hair fell over her shoulders, and she wore a lake-blue dress that stretched out straight at the top, highlighting her impressive pear-shaped bust.

Her skin was a healthy bronze color, without any blemishes. It was not the black color commonly seen in Africans, but a warm bronze color full of luster and elasticity, like a shining and dazzling black pearl. She seemed to have Arab Semitic ancestry.

Her slender index finger gently stroked her lips. Her plump, sexy lips were painted with bright paint, but her long, pointed nails were not painted with nail polish. Her natural nails were smooth and shiny like pearls, which complemented her delicate, satin-like brown skin, exuding a kind of enchanting beauty.

As if noticing Kindaichi's scrutinizing gaze, the woman smiled and bit her index finger, her light green eyes gleaming with interest.

Her smile made Kindaichi blush.

Kindaichi quickly looked away. At that moment, the head of the Tokida family, Tokida Jusan, raised his glass and stood up. He said, "Then, let's hold the traditional pre-wedding banquet. First, let's toast to thank the gods who have protected us for thousands of years, to the benevolent gods who once defeated the demons that destroyed the world with their own limbs and fed all living things with their own flesh and blood. I wish 'Rinsang Renkaka' everlasting health and success!"

"Belief!"

The heads of the other five families in Liujiao Village also raised their glasses at the same time.

Seeing this scene, Kindaichi and his companions were somewhat confused and a little impressed. So they followed the local custom and raised their glasses.

Kindaichi would feel awe-inspiring when he saw this scene, while Hayashi Shangren would feel like he couldn't hold back at all.

The god that Tokita Jusan mentioned was of course Hayashi Shangren.

As previously mentioned, through the oral accounts of Kirika and Tokita Misaki, during Japan's Warring States Period, the ancestor of the Tokita family met a missionary by chance and was baptized into the Catholic faith. For unknown reasons, his Catholic deity changed from the Hong family's patriarch, the Lord God, to "Lin Shangren," a figure who uses his flesh and blood to save sentient beings and seal away demons with his body.

Of course, due to the early time, the changes in Japanese and the lack of the "l" sound in Japanese, by the time the name "Hayashi Shangren" was passed down to this generation, its pronunciation had already changed beyond recognition and became the strange way it is today.

So after interrogating Tokita Misaki, Hayashi Naoto didn't know that the god worshipped by the Tokita family was him.

However, as long as he saw the toast ceremony that all the young players did, Lin Shangren would definitely realize that what he was actually calling was "Lin Shangren Kaka".

Kindaichi obviously doesn't know this now. Compared to the somewhat strange opening of the dinner party, he is more concerned about the various unreasonable things that exist in Rokkaku Village.

"I have to find a way to get close to the guests at the dinner party, or at least find out what the things in the underground secret room are like." Kindaichi thought.

Chapter 392: The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, but Jie Dies

Tokita Jusan and his guests drank all the wine in their cups, and Kindaichi and his group followed suit.

After the toast, the dinner officially began.

Seeing everyone start to eat, Wada Haruna suddenly asked, "Don't we have to wait for Ruoye? And Ruoye's... 'fiancé', the bride and groom, don't have to attend the dinner?"

This is also the question that Kindaichi and the others in his group want to ask, especially Odakiri Susumu, who is the "victim".

Originally, they wanted to confirm Tokita Wakaba's intentions and take her away if she didn't want to get married. However, Tokita Wakaba's attitude towards them was cold, even towards Oda Kirin.

So Odagiri Susumu wanted to find an opportunity to meet Tokita Wakaba alone to personally confirm her feelings. If Wakaba would not attend the dinner, then this might be his best chance.

Hearing Wada Haruna's question, the silver-haired middle-aged man sitting diagonally across from her answered: "This is a tradition in our village."

"Tradition?"

"Excuse me, my name is Kazamatsuri Junye, and I'm the owner of the village's Weathervane House." Kazamatsuri Junye smiled kindly, "I was just about to ask. Judging from the looks of you, you must be classmates or friends of the bride, right? Did you come here specifically to congratulate Ruoye?"

Hearing this, Odagiri Susumu's face almost turned green. Kindaichi then smoothly joined in with Kazamatsuri Junya, "Yes. We're Wakaba's friends. My name is Kindaichi, this is Nanase Miyuki, and this is Wada Haruna, and those two are our teachers, Odagiri-sensei and Rokuhoshi-sensei. The school had a study tour coming to Hachinohe, and since Wakaba invited us, we rushed over."

"I see. Kindaichi... I think I've heard of this name before. The great detective from the Showa era, Kindaichi Kosuke."

"That's my grandpa!" Kindaichi replied with a smile.

"Oh, so you're the grandson of that great detective!" Kazamatsuri Junya's expression became very excited. "Kindaichi Kosuke, Akechi Kogoro, Kamzu Kyosuke, and Shiota Heihachiro, these great detectives were far more popular back then than the current sleeping Kogoro and the phantom high school detective.

Ah, boy, you are also a high school detective, right? "

Kazamatsuri Jun also acted very friendly, but Nanase Miyuki, who was standing next to Kindaichi, instinctively felt a little uncomfortable. She vaguely felt that the other party seemed to be a little afraid of Kindaichi.

"Well, I'm just an ordinary high school student." Kindaichi laughed and then asked, "By the way, what exactly does Mr. Kazematsuri mean by 'village tradition'? The bride and groom can't meet before the wedding? Or do they have other plans during this dinner?"

Hearing this, Odagiri Susumu sat up a little straighter, lowered his head to eat his food, and listened carefully with his ears tilted.

"This is probably a tradition passed down in our village...or perhaps even in the Tokita family," Kazesai Jun added. "It's probably unique to our village. On the eve of the wedding, the bride must sleep alone in the prayer hall to seek the blessing of the master."

"A prayer hall? Could it be that secret room in the basement? Is Ruoye going to spend the whole night there with those mummified corpses?!" Kindaichi was shocked, but remained calm and asked, "Is the 'sir' you're talking about the god who just gave the toast? Perhaps I'm ignorant, but what kind of god is he?"

"Well..."

Feng Sheng Yuya lowered his chin as if thinking.

"That's a long story. According to the stories passed down by our ancestors, this god isn't a native god of ours. The legends surrounding him are a bit confusing. I'll just share what I know. To tell the story of that sage, we have to start with The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter."

"The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter? Is it the story about Princess Kaguya?" asked Wada Haruna.

The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is considered the origin of the "Japanese Monogatari" genre. Its story tells of a bamboo cutter who found a little girl in the heart of a bamboo and named her "Hirotake Kaguya-hime." After three months, Kaguya-hime blossomed into a graceful young lady. Five noblemen proposed to her, and she promised to marry the one who could find her beloved treasure. However, all the suitors were rejected. The emperor tried to force her to marry him, but she refused. Finally, Kaguya-hime ascended to heaven, and her grandfather and grandmother, who had painstakingly raised her, could only watch her depart.

Feng Shengyu also answered: "Yes. However, the story circulating in Rokkaku Village is very different from the one in "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter".

According to legend, during the Nara period, a giant bamboo stem from outer space fell to the Japanese islands. Its emerald green stem resembled a piece of jade. Officials on the land where it fell wanted to present it as a tribute to the emperor. However, when they tried to move it, the enormous stem suddenly opened up.

A beautiful girl with rabbit ears emerged from the bamboo. She called herself Kaguya-hime, the queen of the moon. She was stunningly beautiful, but not the wise and kindhearted beauty from "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter," but an out-and-out demon.

She can suck the life out of people, and with a single flick of her wrist, she can turn a young girl into an old woman. Her magical powers are so immense she can move mountains and fill the sea, and change the world with a wave of her hand. She threatens to enslave all humans in the world and turn the world into her plaything.

Kaguya's terrifying power left no one in Japan capable of rivaling her. Even the Wind God and Thunder God, the two divine swords inherited from Susanoo who slew the Yamata no Orochi, were defeated and brainwashed into becoming her minions. Later, a dragon god, using nine precious orbs and the twin swords of the Wind God and Thunder God, barely managed to defeat Kaguya.

"The God of Wind? The God of Thunder? Susanoo's two swords? Isn't the sword Susanoo used to seal the Yamata no Orochi called the Kusanagi sword? And aren't the God of Thunder and the God of Wind two sides of the same coin? And who is this Dragon God who suddenly appeared with nine dragon balls?" Kindaichi immediately pondered these questions, but, realizing it was just a local legend in Rokkaku Village, he let them go. He was more concerned with their beliefs about Narin and the like.

"So, the dragon god you worship is him?" asked Nanase Miyuki who was standing next to Kindaichi.

"No... no. That sir won't appear until the Warring States Period," Kazematsu Jun also said. "What I just said is the background before that sir's appearance. It's said that Princess Kaguya was sealed in Mount Fuji by the Dragon God, but the Dragon God's seal is not stable, so Mount Fuji often erupts when Princess Kaguya tries to break free.

During the Heian period, the great Onmyoji Abe no Haruaki reinforced the seal surrounding Princess Kaguya, believing it would prevent further trouble. However, during the Warring States period, the world was in turmoil, and the resentment accumulated from the endless bloody battles within Japan helped Princess Kaguya break the seal.

She and her minions began to wreak havoc in Japan again, sucking the youth and lifespan of young girls to recover their strength. The war-torn nations had neither the energy nor the ability to deal with her.

At this time, a shipload of missionaries arrived in Japan. Among them was the British navigator named Miura Anjin. You may have heard of him, the first foreign samurai.

"Uh...yeah." Jintian nodded.

"The missionaries came to Japan in search of a strange stone called Pandora," Kazematsu continued. "Pandora is also known as the Philosopher's Stone or the Miracle Stone. It's said that the stone originated from the meteor shower caused by Halley's Comet thousands of years ago. Alchemists could use it to create the Elixir of Life. Later, after the war, Pandora was lost. The last mention of it was in Marco Polo's Travels, which said the 'Miracle Stone' finally appeared in Japan."

In order to find it, Miura Anzhen and his group came to Japan and encountered the demons under Princess Kaguya. The swords of Japanese samurai could hardly hurt those demons, but the magic of the missionaries was very effective against them.

Anyway, after a series of events, the missionaries were hired by Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu and began to fight against Princess Kaguya and her minions as demon hunters. And the missionaries believed in that Lord, not God or Jesus.

They said that this great being was a truly benevolent and powerful god. He had saved countless worlds and created a paradise on earth where everyone could be happy. They were searching for Pandora to give her to him.

The ancestor of the Tokita family was a retainer of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu, who believed in that lord under the persuasion of missionaries.

Later, Princess Kaguya regained her full strength, and the Dragon God who had sealed her was unable to fight again. The missionaries and warriors were also unable to stop her.

Then, Princess Kaguya swallowed up the sun with her great power, plunging the entire world into darkness. In this dark world, the lives of all the people in the world were gradually absorbed by Princess Kaguya.

When the world was on the verge of destruction, six missionaries cut off one of their limbs, and the leader of the missionaries even cut off his own head. They used parts of their bodies as sacrifices and finally summoned the arrival of the great man.

The lord successfully defeated Kaguya and banished her to the moon, never to return. He then tore open the heavens, bringing light back to the world. To save those whose lives had been drained by Kaguya and who were nearing death, the lord severed his own limbs and used his flesh and blood to bring down a rain of healing, healing all the wounded. Even devout missionaries were able to regenerate their limbs, returning them to life. After all was settled, the lord departed from this world.

This is the legend about that adult.

Although it sounds very different from the myths you're familiar with, we in Liujiao Village firmly believe in that master. After all, our ancestors left behind physical evidence of that master's arrival on earth.

"Physical evidence?" Kindaichi asked curiously. "Could it be a holy relic like the Shroud of Turin or the Lance of Longinus?"

"Holy relics? This name is interesting. However, the things left by our ancestors should be called holy relics." Feng Jijun also said.

"Holy... remains?"

"Yes, it's the holy remains," Feng Jiejun replied. "It's the limbs that the six missionaries severed when they summoned that lord. It's also a sacred relic of our village!"

The last overtime before the holiday

As the title says, I'll skip today's post. I'll be on holiday the day after tomorrow, so I'll try to update as much as possible.

Chapter 393: Hanging up and wrapping with tape

"Holy relics? Mr. Kazematsuri, are those mummies the same ones in the basement of the Clock House?" Kindaichi asked. "By the way, isn't Wakaba going to spend the whole night in the basement with those mummies?"

"Have you been to the confessional?!"

Feng Jijun also asked in surprise, but his eyes looked sharply at Tokita Jusan who was sitting in the main seat.

"Mr. Kindaichi and the lady next to him did inadvertently break in," Tokita Jusan said. "But ignorance is the best policy. They didn't touch the sacred objects. The master won't hold it against us."

"Is that so..." Feng Jichun also pondered, as if thinking about something.

"Um, Mr. Kazematsuri."

Kindaichi was about to continue asking questions when the old woman sitting in the corner of the long table suddenly stood up and shouted in horror, "Oh no! It's on fire! The church is on fire! They... they're still inside!"

Shouting, the old woman named Kusanagi Sanko squatted on the ground in panic, holding her head in her hands and trembling.

"Mrs. Kusanagi!"

Kazejichou Junya and the dark-skinned beauty quickly stood up and tried to help Kusanagi Sanko up. The frightened old woman suddenly regained her composure, laughing and grabbing the salmon dish on her plate, muttering to herself, "Oh my goodness! It's almost time for Meow Meow to eat. I have to feed her more."

"What on earth is going on with this old lady?" Kindaichi looked at the scene in confusion.

"Mrs. Kusanagi..."

"Oh, old sister. Your cat is here." Aunt Xue, the maid standing by the table, came over, supported Kusanagi Miko, reached out to pick up the plate on the table for her, and then took her out of the restaurant while comforting her softly.

"Mrs. Kusanagi, what on earth is she doing...?" Wada Haruna looked at the two old people's backs in confusion, expressing some confusion.

"The old lady has some Alzheimer's disease."

The bald man, Isshiki Torano, who had been silent the entire time, spoke up, "She and her cats should be sent to a nursing home in Kitayami Town. She's so old and childless, and she doesn't even hire a nanny. Aren't you afraid of being eaten by cats after she dies?"

"Isshiki!" Tokita Jusan stopped Isshiki Torano, "Don't say such unlucky words on my daughter's wedding day."

"Haha. Good or bad luck, what's the point? I haven't seen that Rin thing blessing us to make a fortune." Isshiki Torao rolled his eyes at Tokita Jusan. "But your girl Misaki, why haven't I seen her? She's been a virgin for so many years, and the god hasn't come to marry her."

Hearing this, Tokita Jusan was furious: "What nonsense are you talking about! If Misaki wasn't here, how do you think we could have kept our current business?!"

"Stop, there are guests here!" Feng Jichun also quickly stopped the two of them.

"Ha. Then I'll be leaving first." Isshiki Torano threw his chopsticks on the table. "I'm too lazy to accompany you guys here to eat this garbage."